You probably already know that un stylo is the most common way to say “pen” in French. But what if you need a ballpoint pen, a fountain pen, or even a felt-tip marker? The French language, with its love for precision, has a specific word for almost every type of writing instrument. As you dive deeper into your French studies, knowing these specific terms will not only expand your vocabulary but also make you sound more like a native speaker. Let's explore nine different ways to talk about a “pen” in French, so you'll always have the right word at your fingertips!

1. The standard 'pen' – un stylo

The most common and standard word for 'pen' in French is un stylo. It's the go-to term you'll hear and use in everyday conversation, whether you're in a classroom, an office, or a shop.

Stylo is a masculine noun, so it's always preceded by a masculine article like un (a) or le (the). The plural form is des stylos (pens) or les stylos (the pens). Remember, the final 's' in the plural form is silent.

While un stylo is a general term, you can be more specific by adding a descriptor. The most common type is a ballpoint pen, which is called un stylo-bille.

• un stylo-plume: a fountain pen
• un stylo-feutre: a felt-tip pen
• un stylo à encre gel: a gel pen

You can use un stylo in virtually any context; it's neither overly formal nor too casual. If you need to borrow a pen, asking « Tu as un stylo ? » (Do you have a pen?) is perfectly natural among friends or colleagues.

It's important not to confuse un stylo with un crayon. A crayon specifically means 'pencil' in French. While both are writing instruments, stylo refers to an instrument that uses ink.

💡 * J'ai besoin d'un stylo pour signer ce document.

• Est-ce que je peux t'emprunter un stylo bleu ?
• Elle a acheté un paquet de stylos-bille pour la rentrée.
• Mon stylo-plume a fui dans ma poche.
• Où sont les stylos ? Je ne les trouve pas.

The 'ballpoint pen' – un stylo-bille / un stylo à bille

The most common word for 'pen' in French is un stylo. When you need to be specific about a 'ballpoint pen,' you have two primary options which are used interchangeably: un stylo-bille (plural: des stylos-bille) and un stylo à bille (plural: des stylos à bille).

Let's break down these terms. The word bille in French means 'small ball.' Therefore, un stylo-bille literally translates to 'a ball-pen,' while un stylo à bille means 'a pen with a ball.' Both accurately describe the mechanism of a ballpoint pen, making the vocabulary easy to remember.

In everyday conversation, French speakers often just say un stylo because ballpoint pens are the default. If you ask someone for un stylo, they will almost certainly hand you a ballpoint pen. Using the full stylo-bille or stylo à bille is for when you need to be precise or distinguish it from other types of pens.

This specificity becomes important when you want to contrast the ballpoint pen with other writing instruments. For example, you might distinguish it from un stylo-plume (a fountain pen), un feutre (a felt-tip pen/marker), or un crayon (a pencil). Knowing stylo-bille allows for this clear distinction.

Think about a practical scenario like shopping for school or office supplies. If you say, 'Je cherche des stylos,' the clerk might show you all kinds. But if you say, 'Je cherche un stylo-bille noir,' you are clearly communicating you need a black ballpoint pen, making the transaction smoother.

💡 * J'ai besoin d'un nouveau stylo-bille pour l'école.

• Préfères-tu écrire avec un stylo à bille ou un stylo-plume ?
• Il a signé le contrat avec un stylo-bille bleu.
• Pardon, tu aurais un stylo à bille à me prêter ?

The 'fountain pen' – un stylo-plume

For those who appreciate classic writing instruments, the French term for a 'fountain pen' is un stylo-plume. This term specifically refers to the type of pen with a metal nib that uses an ink cartridge or a converter.

The term stylo-plume is a compound noun, making it quite logical. It's a combination of two words:

• un stylo (a pen)
• une plume (a feather) Literally, it translates to a 'feather pen', a direct nod to the quill, which was the precursor to the modern fountain pen.

Stylo-plume is a masculine noun, so you always say un stylo-plume (a fountain pen) or le stylo-plume (the fountain pen). The plural form is des stylos-plume. Notice that only the first part of the word, stylo, takes an 's' in the plural.

While a standard ballpoint pen is simply called un stylo or un stylo-bille, the term stylo-plume is reserved for this specific instrument. It's culturally significant in France, as many schoolchildren traditionally learn to write with a stylo-plume to develop good penmanship.

💡 * J'ai reçu un beau stylo-plume pour mon anniversaire. (I received a beautiful fountain pen for my birthday.)

• En France, les écoliers apprennent souvent à écrire avec un stylo-plume. (In France, schoolchildren often learn to write with a fountain pen.)
• Il faut que je rachète des cartouches d'encre pour mon stylo-plume. (I need to buy more ink cartridges for my fountain pen.)
• Elle a signé le contrat avec son stylo-plume fétiche. (She signed the contract with her favorite fountain pen.)

The 'felt-tip pen' – un feutre

The 'felt-tip pen' – un feutre

Un feutre is the common French term for a 'felt-tip pen' or 'marker.' It is a masculine noun, so it is always used with masculine articles like un or le.

This word is versatile and can refer to anything from a child's coloring marker to a permanent marker. To specify coloring pens, you can say des feutres de couleur.

The name comes from the material of the pen's tip. The word feutre on its own means 'felt,' the fabric. This connection makes the vocabulary easier to remember.

💡 * Puis-je emprunter un feutre, s'il te plaît ? (Can I borrow a felt-tip pen, please?)

• Les enfants dessinent avec des feutres de couleur. (The children are drawing with colored markers.)
• J'ai écrit son nom avec un feutre noir. (I wrote his name with a black marker.)
• Attention, ce feutre n'est pas effaçable. (Be careful, this marker is not erasable.)

The 'quill' (historical pen) – une plume

The French word une plume literally translates to 'a feather'. However, its meaning extends into the literary and historical world, where it signifies a 'quill' or, more broadly, a 'pen'.

Primarily, une plume refers to the feather of a bird. Its secondary, more poetic meaning comes from the historical use of quills (sharpened feathers) as writing instruments. This connection is deeply embedded in French culture and literature.

Figuratively, une plume refers to a person's writing style or talent. To say someone has 'une belle plume' means they are a gifted writer. This usage is common in literary reviews and discussions about authors.

Remember that plume is a feminine noun. Always use feminine articles and adjectives, such as une plume (a feather/quill) or la plume noire (the black feather/quill).

In contemporary, everyday conversation, the word for a modern pen is un stylo. Using une plume to ask for a ballpoint pen would sound antiquated or overly poetic. Reserve it for discussions about history, literature, or actual quill pens.

💡 * Autrefois, on écrivait les lettres avec une plume d'oie. (In the past, people wrote letters with a goose quill.)

• Cet journaliste a une plume acérée. (This journalist has a sharp writing style.)
• J'ai trouvé une jolie plume de paon dans le parc. (I found a pretty peacock feather in the park.)
• Pourriez-vous me prêter un stylo ? Je n'ai rien pour écrire. (Could you lend me a pen? I have nothing to write with.)

The 'marker' – un marqueur

In French, the direct translation for a 'marker' is un marqueur. This is the most common and widely understood term for a felt-tip pen used for writing or drawing.

You'll use un marqueur when referring to pens for whiteboards (un marqueur pour tableau blanc), general drawing markers for children, or standard felt-tip pens. It's a versatile term used in school, office, and art settings.

While un marqueur is a general term, French also has more specific words. A permanent marker is called un marqueur indélébile (or permanent). A highlighter, which is a type of marker, is almost always called un surligneur.

Be aware that marqueur isn't just for writing. In sports, it can mean the 'scoreboard' or the 'scorer' (le marqueur). In a scientific context, it can refer to a 'genetic marker' (un marqueur génétique). The context will always clarify the meaning.

💡 * Tu peux me passer le marqueur rouge ?

• J'ai besoin d'un marqueur indélébile pour étiqueter ces boîtes.
• N'utilise pas un marqueur permanent sur le tableau blanc !
• L'étudiant a utilisé un surligneur pour les mots de vocabulaire importants.

The 'highlighter' – un surligneur

The French word for a 'highlighter' is un surligneur. This is a key vocabulary word for anyone studying or working in a French-speaking environment.

Surligneur is a masculine noun, so you always use masculine articles like un or le. For example, you would say le surligneur jaune for 'the yellow highlighter'.

The verb form is surligner, which means 'to highlight'. This is a regular -er verb. For example: Il faut surligner les informations importantes. (You must highlight the important information.)

💡 * Peux-tu me prêter ton surligneur ? (Can you lend me your highlighter?)

• J'utilise un surligneur rose pour les dates clés. (I use a pink highlighter for key dates.)
• L'enseignant a demandé aux élèves de surligner les verbes dans le texte. (The teacher asked the students to highlight the verbs in the text.)
• Mon surligneur ne marche plus, je dois en acheter un autre. (My highlighter doesn't work anymore, I have to buy another one.)

The 'stylus' (for touchscreens) – un stylet

The French word for a 'stylus', specifically one for a touchscreen, is un stylet. This is the term you'll use for the pen-like tool that accompanies tablets, smartphones, and other digital devices.

Stylet is a masculine noun, so you will always see it paired with masculine articles like un or le. For example, un stylet (a stylus) or le stylet (the stylus).

While the word stylet can also refer to a small dagger or a pointed instrument in a historical or medical context, its primary, everyday meaning today is linked to technology and touchscreens (écrans tactiles).

You would use this word when shopping for accessories, asking for help in a tech store, or discussing digital art. It's a direct and universally understood term in the French-speaking world for this specific tool.

💡 * J'ai besoin d'acheter un nouveau stylet pour mon iPad.

• Est-ce que ce stylet fonctionne avec n'importe quel écran tactile ?
• L'artiste a dessiné ce portrait en utilisant uniquement un stylet et une tablette.
• J'ai perdu le stylet de ma console de jeux.

1. The 'gel pen' – un stylo à encre gel

The most direct and accurate way to say 'gel pen' in French is un stylo à encre gel. This literally translates to 'a pen with gel ink'.

Let's look at the components: Un stylo is the French word for 'a pen.' The phrase à encre gel specifies the type of ink. Encre means 'ink' and gel is the same in both languages. The preposition à is used here to describe a characteristic of the pen.

In everyday language, it's very common for French speakers to shorten the phrase to simply un stylo gel. This is less formal but perfectly understood in most contexts, like shopping for stationery.

To talk about more than one gel pen, you would say des stylos à encre gel or the shorter form, des stylos gel. Note that encre and gel do not become plural because they are describing the type of pen.

💡 * J'ai besoin d'un nouveau stylo à encre gel pour dessiner.

• Elle adore ses stylos gel colorés pour prendre des notes.
• Est-ce que tu as un stylo gel noir que je peux emprunter ?
• Ces stylos à encre gel ne bavent pas sur le papier.

Are there other ways to say 'pen' in French?

Are there other ways to say “pen” in French?

Our list covers the most common ways to say “pen” in French, especially the ubiquitous stylo. However, French is rich with specific terms for different types of writing tools, from regionalisms to brand names that have become generic terms, like Bic.

You can expand your vocabulary by doing an online search for a specific type of pen, like “stylo plume” (fountain pen) or “feutre” (felt-tip pen). You might also search for regional terms used in places like Québec or Switzerland.

When you find a new word for “pen,” like bille or crayon, always check its specific context. A stylo-bille is a ballpoint pen, while a crayon is a pencil, showing how a small change can make a big difference.

Pay attention when you're in a French-speaking environment, whether you're watching a movie set in a school or browsing an office supply website. Observing which words are used in real-life situations is the best way to learn.

If you want to explore more vocabulary related to writing instruments, the Larousse or WordReference dictionary entries for stylo are fantastic starting points. They often provide synonyms, related terms, and example sentences.

I hope this article has helped you write a new chapter in your French learning journey. To finish, here is a perfect quote from the French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre that captures the power of the pen: Les mots sont des pistolets chargés. (Words are loaded pistols.)